KATHMANDU: Senior advocate Dinesh Tripathi has filed a writ petition at the Supreme Court challenging the Constitutional Council’s recommendation of Justice Manoj Kumar Sharma as the next chief justice.

The petition, filed on Friday, argues that recommending Sharma, who is fourth in judicial seniority, violates the constitutional principle governing judicial appointments and undermines judicial independence.

Tripathi has sought a court order to scrap the recommendation and instead appoint senior-most Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla as chief justice.

The move comes a day after Prime Minister Balen Shah pushed Sharma’s recommendation through a majority decision in the Constitutional Council meeting.